Oil seat - Oil seat

An organization of oil merchants in the Middle Ages. Oil has long been produced from sesame, perilla and nuts, and much of it was used as lantern oil by temples, shrines and nobles. Oil was initially collected as annual tax on manors, but as collection gradually became impossible, it was decided that merchants under the control would procure it. As merchants also needed to be protected, they gathered at large temples and shrines as Yoriudo and Jinin, and in the late Heian period, the oil za was formed. The zashu provided services such as donating lantern oil to shrines and temples, but were also allowed to sell surplus oil, and as such were given the privilege of exemption from customs duties and toll fees, as well as priority rights in purchasing sesame as the raw material, refining it, and selling it. Particularly famous are the Yamashiro Oyamazaki Aburazane (Abura Shinjin), who served Iwashimizu Hachimangu Shrine, and the Fusaka Aburazane (Kasuga Shrine White Godjin), whose main temple was the Daijoin Temple of Kofukuji Temple. During the Sengoku period, many of the traditional Aburazane fell into decline, and Aburazane were established in castle towns, temples, and shrines around the country under the protection of feudal lords. The Aburazane were ordered to be abolished during the reign of Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

[Mizue Konishi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

中世の油商人の組織。油は古くからゴマ、エゴマ、木の実を原料として製造され、多くは灯油として寺社や公家(くげ)で使用された。油は最初荘園(しょうえん)年貢として徴収されていたが、しだいに徴収が不可能になるにつれて、支配下の商人に調達させることになり、商人も保護を受ける必要性から、寄人(よりうど)や神人(じにん)として大寺社に結集し、平安後期には油座が成立した。座衆は社寺に灯油を献納するなどの奉仕をする一方、余剰油の販売を許され、そのため関銭(せきせん)、津料（通行課役）免除の特権や原料胡麻の仕入れ、製油、販売の優先権を与えられた。とくに石清水八幡宮(いわしみずはちまんぐう)に奉仕した山城(やましろ)大山崎(おおやまざき)油座（油神人）や興福寺大乗院(こうふくじだいじょういん)を本所とした符坂(ふさか)油座（春日(かすが)社白人神人）は有名。戦国時代には従来の油座の多くは衰微し、各地の城下町や寺社に大名保護の油座が成立した。油座は織田信長、豊臣(とよとみ)秀吉のときに破棄を命じられた。

［小西瑞恵］

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